Competing Against Luck - Post 1/6 (Based on Chapter 1)
A Bubble Wrap Moment:
Finding the Job to Be Done
Did You Get the Job?
In the late 1950s, Bubble Wrap was invented as a textured wallpaper. It flopped. But when IBM needed a way to protect delicate computers during shipping, Bubble Wrap found its true calling. Nobody uses it for decor, but everyone hires it to cushion fragile items or relieve stress.
This fortunate turn of events for Bubble Wrap’s creators is a rarity. Most products and services don’t get a second chance like that. Competing Against Luck by Clayton Christensen points us toward a more predictable path to success through a straightforward but never simple process. This series is an exploration of that strategic concept.
The "Jobs to Be Done" (JTBD) framework feels logical and intuitive, connecting with familiar ideas about solving problems and finding purpose. It’s all about understanding what customers truly need, which is essential for anyone building products in today’s fast-paced world.
In this first post of a six-week series, we'll dive into the core idea of JTBD, exploring its connection to familiar tools like Toyota’s 5 Whys and Simon Sinek’s "Start with Why." I’m especially interested in exploring how this framework can help product managers and software engineers at Vasion create solutions that truly matter. It seems logical, intuitive, and some definite familiarity with ideas we’ve explored in previous posts, like The Problem Problem, about solving problems and finding purpose. So, how can we make the most of the JTBD framework?
What Is a "Job to Be Done"?
JTBD says customers "hire" a product or service to make progress in a specific situation. It's not about the product itself—it's about the job they need to get done.
A classic example from the book is the commuter buying a milkshake. They're not just buying a drink; they're hiring it to make a boring drive enjoyable (emotional job) or to keep hunger at bay until lunch (functional job). Of course, the weekend milkshake buyer has a different job – finally being able to say “yes” to a request in family time.
Every job has three parts:
- Functional: The practical task the customer needs to accomplish.
- Emotional: How the customer wants to feel in the situation.
- Social: How the customer wants to be perceived by others.
Think of users hiring a tool like Jira, our ticketing system at Vasion, to "organize and account for tasks for specific projects and products that will integrate with our other systems." The job isn’t just organizing tasks; it’s also about feeling confident and in control over large and complex sets of deliverables.
As I contemplate the framework, it seems to resemble the Toyota 5 Whys approach, where you ask "why" repeatedly to dig into a problem’s root cause. Here, we ask why customers choose a product to uncover the real job.
Why JTBD Matters for Product Development
For product managers, JTBD is a guide to prioritizing features that customers actually need, helping to avoid the trap of building shiny but useless additions. For engineers, it focuses development on what delivers real value, saving time and effort that could be wasted on unneeded features.
This framework drives innovation by revealing unmet needs—such as when customers skip complex tools because they don’t fit their job. By focusing on jobs, we streamline our work and build products that resonate.
A Real-World Example
The milkshake story in the book shows how a fast-food chain boosted sales by understanding the commuter’s job. Instead of adding new flavors, they made the milkshakes thicker (lasting longer on drives) and easier to grab, directly addressing the customer’s functional need for a satisfying, long-lasting breakfast.
Let's apply this to a file-sharing tool hired to "share updates quickly with my team." Using the 5 Whys, we might ask: "Why do they need quick sharing?" → "To meet tight deadlines." → "Why?" → "To reduce stress." This emotional job would guide a product manager to prioritize speed and an engineer to optimize performance.
Try This Out
JTBD is intuitive—it's like debugging a problem or finding your team’s purpose. Here’s a simple way to start:
- Action Item: Pick one feature of a product you're working on. Ask, "What job is the customer hiring this for?" Use the 5 Whys to dig deeper: Why do they need it? Why does that matter?
- List one functional, emotional, or social job. For example, a file-sharing tool’s job might be “access files securely anywhere” to feel confident.
- Why It Works: This exercise helps you prioritize features that matter and focus development on value. It’s a small step that can spark big ideas and align your work with solving customer problems.
Next week, we'll look at how the specific circumstances—or context—of a situation reveals a customer’s job.
Bringing it Home
The Jobs to Be Done framework isn't just for business; it's a great tool for understanding our personal lives and relationships. Think about the people and things you "hire" for certain jobs.
For example, you don't just "go out with friends." You might "hire" a friend to "feel comforted" after a difficult day, or "hire" another friend to "celebrate" a success with you. You might "hire" a specific routine, like a daily walk, to "get some quiet time" and feel refreshed.
By thinking about the functional, emotional, and social jobs the people and activities in your life are hired for, you can gain a better understanding of your own needs and the needs of others. Conversely, what "jobs" are you hiring people, things, and activities to do in your life? Join me as we look to develop more tools in our quest for Aiming Up!
